This Week In The Can

Posted on 8 October, 2018

Your essential guide to what’s on in Canberra this week!

HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE TO SEE LISTED IN THIS WEEK IN THE CAN? SUBMIT IT HERE BY COB WEDNESDAY PRIOR.

WHAT NOT TO MISS

THE MRS FRAY POP UP

The Mrs Fray pop up is a four-day event generously sponsored by Ovolo Nishi Hotel and the Molonglo Group, hosted within the Nishi Gallery space.

For four days only, Mrs Fray will make her appearance by bringing the best possible wardrobe pieces to make your wedding day unique and special to you: dresses, jumpsuits and two-piece sets, alongside slip dresses/robes, organza shirting, nail varnishes, fragrances and statement jewellery all supplied by some of our favourite and most well-loved Australian and International designers. Similar to a trunk show of sorts, but with less fluff and more good product you actually love.

The first pop up will feature Australian bridal designers Karen Willis Holmes, L’eto Bridal, and Prea James. As well as adornments from By Nye Jewellery, EOD shoes, locally made wardrobe essentials from NATALIJA and Millicent Elizabeth, organic underwear and seperates from Baserange, luxury lingerie from Porte-à-Vie and feel good products from OLO Fragrance and Kester Black. The Mrs Fray library will also be stocked with essential reading from Hello May Magazine and accompanying copies of their Wedding Notebook and Planner – the Wedding Field Guide.

Over the course of the four days, brides will be able to browse the collection of wares within the Nishi Gallery and book themselves in for a private appointment to try anything on. After Sunday the 14th of October, the Mrs Fray pop up will disappear from the space. Following the event, the online community will remain and brides will be able to purchase anything they viewed or tried on through the website. Mrs Fray is providing a fresh and modern take on wedding style that the nation’s capital has never seen before.

Happening 11-14 October at Nishi Gallery, Phillip Law Street, NewActon.

Click here to join the waitlist for private fittings or click here for more information on the pop-up.

Bell Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar 

Credit: Kenneth Ransom

Interested in ancient Greek drama? Love a good stage show? Look no further! Bell Shakespeare is here in Canberra for 8 days in October presenting Julius Caesar. Loved by the people, Caesar’s power is growing – which is dangerous in a world driven by ego and idealism. Those that rise too fast must be dealt with. For the good of the country. For the good of those who wish to be rulers themselves.

Julius Caesar is Shakespeare’s political thriller, a masterpiece of intrigue and treachery. Stand witness to the assassination that leads to a life and death struggle for power in the Republic. Citizens mutiny, Mark Antony schemes, and the fate of Rome hangs in the balance. Experience the tension between aspiration and ambition, the triumphal entrances and brutal exits, as it is all laid on the line for Rome.

Bell Shakespeare’s Associate Director, James Evans, will direct a production that’s seething with rage, leaving audiences breathless at how quickly violence reveals the fragility of democracy.

Happening 12-20 October at Canberra Theatre Centre,

Tickets from $78.50 via the Canberra Theatre Centre website.

Candle Making with Cocolux

Cocolux’s creator Meisha Strykowski will host a candle making workshop, exploring her aesthetic behind candle making, natural ingredients and handmade quality. Attendees will get to take home their candle at the end of the masterclass.

Enjoy sparkling wine and an indulgent grazing platter from Woodbrook Canberra on arrival.

The event is being held on 13^th October from 2 pm-3 pm within Canberra centre on level 1, near Country Road.

Tickets are $30 and are available through Eventbrite.

Find out more about the Cocolux range from the cocoluxaustralia website.

BREAKING THROUGH: 75 YEARS OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

Why did it take so long for women to get elected? And once they were there, what was their experience within the parliament?

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first women elected to Australian Federal Parliament, Breaking Through exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy explores the journeys of 11 trailblazers who were the first to hold particular parliamentary positions.

These are stories of resilience, perseverance and ground-breaking achievements.

From 1943 when Dorothy Tangney and Enid Lyons were the first women elected to parliament through to today where woman have held the highest positions in all areas of parliament, including Prime Minister.

Breaking Through exhibition, recognises the significant contribution these women made in Australia’s democracy. Look back on their lives, uncover their motivations and what they view as their greatest achievements.

Told through never before seen portraits, each a unique representation by a young artist, and powerful stories of change-makers breaking through, this exhibition will inspire visitors to think about the role of women in parliament, what it took to get there and whether we’ve come far enough.

Showing until 28 August 2019 from 9 am – 5 pm daily at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.

See the website for more information.

Blundells Cottage Gala Day

Blundells Cottage has had a facelift! New, sympathetic landscaping, new displays and conservation works on both the stone and the slab buildings are now complete.

Join us for a day of family activities, including live music, food and drink, lawn games, storytelling and making seed bombs to welcome everyone back to this tiny workers home that tells the stories of the families that lived there over a period of 100 years.

Help create the biggest paper chain Canberra has ever seen to celebrate the re-opening!

All display areas will be open to view as well.

Happening Saturday 13 October from 10 am – 2 pm at Blundells Cottage, Wendouree Drive, Parkes.

See website for more information.

3 Days of Design

3 Days of Design is an event featuring 5 local Canberra designers, makers & curators. A mini pop up in the Nation’s Capital celebrating contemporary homewares, furniture, jewellery and wearable art. Hosted at the new BDA custom made furniture showroom in Manuka, this Pop Up is full to the brim of objects to inspire and delight.

Happening 12-14 October at Beyond Design Australia, 25 Franklin Street, Manuka.

See the website for more information.

S.A.D

Mental Health is often marginalised and kept behind closed doors. S.A.D brings it into the light without stigma; a show full of laughter, tears, truth and most importantly of all hope and healing.

S.A.D is a journey through the Seasons of Mental Illness. The foreboding Autumn of History and Trauma, the sometimes isolating and cold Winter of Symptoms, the hopeful Spring that is Recognition and Diagnosis and finally into the beautiful warmth of the Summer of Healing and Acceptance.

Experience a show like no other that meets the demons that we all face head on and rather than doing so with anger and fear, instead embraces them with understanding. Written and choreographed by UK producer Charlie Wan, who’s inspiration for the show has been drawn from not only her own experiences, but those around her and their journey of healing. The show uses classical clowning and movement, with an entirely original score composed by New Zealand composer Teresa Wojcik, to move, entertain and engage without dialogue.

Content Warning: This show explores themes of mental illness (PTSD, depression and anxiety), grooming, childhood abuse, toxic masculinity, addiction and trauma.

Happening 9-13 October at Canberra Theatre Centre.

For more information see the Canberra Theatre Centre website.

Penicillin to Wi-fi and Beyond: How Australia shapes the world

Australia is a continent of creators – firestick farming, cochlear implants, Federation wheat, penicillin, wi-fi and spray-on skin are just some of the Australian inventions to have had a global impact. What are the challenges and opportunities that will inspire Australian innovators in the 21st century?

Join ABC RN’s Big Ideas presenter Paul Barclay in conversation with an expert panel as they discuss Australia’s inventive past and imagine its innovative future.

The panel features Professor Michelle Simmons, quantum physicist and 2018 Australian of the Year; Professor Genevieve Bell, cultural anthropologist, technologist and futurist; Dr Rod Lamberts, Deputy Director of the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science; and Geoff McNamara, recipient of the 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching.

This event is part of the Defining Moments in Australian history project.

Developed in collaboration ABC Radio National.Cost: $15 adult, $10 concession, $7.50 Friends Bookings essential: Eventbrite (fees apply)

Happening Wednesday 10 October from 5-6.30pm at Visions Theatre, National Museum of Australia.

A WILD NIGHT OUT AT TIDBINBILLA

Experience Canberra’s premier wildlife sanctuary like never before with the ultimate family sleepover – A Wild Night Out at Tidbinbilla.

Explore this vast 54.5 square kilometre Nature Reserve with specially designed ranger-guided activities that offer NEW ways to learn about the diversity of wildlife in this unique landscape, understand the culture of the traditional country of the Ngunnawal people and see the history of European settlement in the Tidbinbilla Valley.

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve has koalas, wombats and kangaroos which we all love but we also want to introduce some of the lesser known animals to our guests – bettongs, corroboree frogs and potoroos amongst them. And on World Animal Day – 4 Oct – we have a special guest Brian the Bettong visiting our glampers.

Time to get wild and stay at Tidbinbilla.

Happening until 13 October at Tidbinbilla. See website for more information.

Move with the Current

Join the ANU College of Arts and Social Science for the fifth talk in their Move with the Current lecture series – topical talks by leading academics.

Trust and Politics in Australia: What Can History Tell Us? by Professor Frank Bongiorno

The survey results are in: Australians have declining trust in their politicians. But is this simply a by-product of the times in which we live, an era in which trust in politics seems to be on the wane across the world? Or are there aspects of Australia’s political history that can help us to place the decline of trust of recent years in a wider perspective? After all, Australians might distrust their politicians, but they still seem to have considerable faith in government, and they continue to look to the state for the solution to a wide range of their problems.

Tickets available online. 

Cellar Door

Cellar Door is a new wine market for Canberra’s wonderful wine scene. Buy wines from local makers every Saturday afternoon in the iconic Nishi Grand Stair, NewActon Precinct. Grab a souvenir glass, taste the latest drops, and buy at cellar door prices.

Wine stalls rotate each week with complementing stalls like flowers, cheese, chocolate and books. Capital City Soul Club are the resident DJs.

Make a day of it with a film at Palace Electric Cinema and NewActon’s leading food and drink destinations.

Happening Saturday 13 October from 3-6 pm on the Nishi Grand Stair, inside the Nishi Building, Philip Law Street, NewActon. See the Facebook event for more details.

Abstract Art, Yoga And Wellbeing

Join artist Lorna Crane and yoga and mindfulness practitioners for a very special and nourishing escape at Indigo Retreat, a luxury eco-lodge near Bermagui, New South Wales.

Located in a stunning section of the wilderness coast, the retreat borders miles of National Parks in one of Australia’s most unspoiled coastlines.

If you are looking for a break away from your work, your life or even your own head, this workshop could be perfect for you. Surrounded by the bush and overlooking Murrah lake, even arriving at the beautiful retreat environment will instantly soothe your soul as you disconnect from the outside world. Indigo guests report that within hours their “to do” lists fade into oblivion. This should give you 4 days more to look after yourself, rejuvenate, relax and have fun.

Mornings will start with a walk along our private track to Murrah Beach, or if you need more rest, sleep in snuggled into one of the retreat’s beautiful rooms. After breakfast there’ll be a gentle yoga/stretch class, before starting on Lorna’s brushes and mark-making workshop.

Download the information flyer here.

The retreat includes:

• All day abstract art workshop with award winning artist Lorna Crane (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10.30 to 4 pm)
• All art materials excepting large canvases, which you may bring if you wish.
• Four morning yoga sessions (Tuesday-Friday) • 4 mindfulness sessions (Monday-Thursday)
• Wholefood cooking class
• Delicious locally sourced food allowing for most dietary requirements.
• Breakfasts and Morning Tea, Afternoon Tea and Nibbles – DIY at your leisure
• Gourmet Lunchboxes • Beautiful sit down two-course prepared dinners
• Four nights deluxe twin share accommodation
• Transfers from Merimbula Airport if required
• Massage available at additional costs in Indigo’s therapy room.

How much

$1595 per person twin share.

To book or for more information, email reception@janinemoran.com.au or visit janinemoran.com.au.

ROME: CITY + EMPIRE

Stories of Rome and its vast empire continue to captivate and intrigue people almost 3000 years after their foundation.

Rome: City and Empire brings to Canberra more than 200 of the British Museum’s most engaging and beautiful Roman objects. They tell the story of how Rome grew from a series of small villages to become a mighty empire.

Explore how the empire was won and held, witness the grandeur of Rome and appreciate the rich diversity of its peoples.

Happening until 3 February from 9 am – 5 pm daily at the National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton.

See the website for more information.

PIALLIGO URBAN HIGH TEA @ FLORIADE 

Showcasing a range of sweet and savoury treats alongside an impeccable range of teas by Canberra based Tea Garden Co. Unwind with High Tea at Floriade – set amongst the tulip gardens, treat yourself to an afternoon delight in the Pialligo Urban Café including pastries, cakes, finger sandwiches and scones.

Gluten-free dietaries can be accommodated, just let the staff know when booking tickets.

Tickets cost $42 pp, and booking is essential

Happening until 14 October, Friday –  Sunday, 2.30pm and 3.30pm at Pialligo Urban Cafe at Floriade, Commonwealth Avenue, City

See website for more information.

Pod’s 8th Birthday Brekky

Indulge at Pod Food’s breakfast degustation series.

On Sunday 14 October, Pod Food will be showcasing four of their favourite breakfast dishes throughout the years.

Two sweet and two savoury, for their regulars or for the first timer, this is a brekky not to be missed.

$50 per person for four courses with matching beverages starting from $20 per person.

Happening Sunday 14 October from 9 am at Pod Food, 12 Beltana Road, Pialligo.

See the website to book and for more details.

American Masters

Drawn exclusively from the National Gallery of Australia’s (NGA) outstanding collection of American art, American Masters celebrates that nation’s artists from the 1940s to the 1980s. When the NGA acquired Jackson Pollock’s Blue poles in 1973, at the time the most expensive American painting ever sold, our emerging collection hit the global headlines. This exhibition tells the story of the formation of our incredible American collection and includes many major works not seen together for a long time.

From Abstract Expressionism, Colour Field, Pop, Neo-Dada and Photo-Realism, to Conceptual, Land and Performance Art, American Masters examines how a generation of young Americans, inspired by European émigrés, challenged local traditions and reinvented modern art. The sensational international impact of the era’s major artists is captured in masterpieces by Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Chuck Close, Donald Judd, Eva Hesse and Louise Bourgeois.

Highlights include paintings and works on paper by the New York School; Sol LeWitt’s huge Wall drawing No. 380 a-d 1982, specially re-made for this exhibition; and a selection of spectacular light works by Dan Flavin, Bruce Nauman, Keith Sonnier and James Turrell.

Showing daily until 11 November at the National Gallery of Australia.

Democracy. Are you in?

Your voice, your hands and even your feet have the power to be heard. Our freedoms and our way of life have been built on the foundation of democracy. This living system is sustained through the participation of each and all of us. Democracy is sustained by you. Australian democracy is a work in progress. Curiously, at a time of stability and unparalleled economic growth, confidence in our political and social institutions is at its lowest point in decades. But giving up on them is not the answer. Our democracy needs us. Are you in?

Open daily at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Find out more at moadoph.gov.au.

HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL

Heathers is the super charged, laugh-out-loud, rock musical about the students of Westerberg High, as they navigate raging hormones, bullying from jocks, scorn from the popular girls, all the while just trying to stay alive!

Veronica Sawyer, a brainy and repressed misfit, is dying to get in with the popular girls, but when she finally gets her chance, her new boyfriend, the mysterious new kid in school, J.D. has other plans.

Based on the greatest teen comedy of all time, this heart felt and homicidal teen musical pulls no punches, as it explores the highs, lows and traps of being a teenager in High School.

Happening 12-27 October at Gungahlin Theatre, 23 Gozzard Street, Gungahlin.

See website for more information.

Heath Ledger: A Life In Pictures

Audiences around the world know and love Heath Ledger as a charismatic movie star who pushed boundaries and created iconic roles. Now they have a chance to discover Heath’s creative process and deep passion for the film industry and the visual arts, in a unique exhibition curated in collaboration with his family.

Explore a selection of film costumes and props, Heath’s own character research journals, celebrity portraits and acting awards and more. A Life in Pictures offers a rare insight into the man behind the camera. A program of special screenings and talks will complement the exhibition.

Showing until 10 February 2019 at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Acton. See website for more information.

Trivia Tuesdays at Casino Canberra

Got a brain full of useless facts and information? Make some money off it at Casino Canberra!

Trivia kicks off at 6:30 pm every Tuesday with free entry and cash prizes to be won!

Visit the website for more information.

PLAYUP

Discover PlayUP – The Right to Have an Opinion and Be Heard, where kids can explore the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child in a playful way. Adults can even join in the fun too! From listening pods and a roleplay Kindness Café to a fuzzy felt wall and craft activities, PlayUP has a range of exciting and immersive experiences that flip the traditional idea of museums completely on its head.

See the website for more information. Free after museum admission. Open from 9 am to 5 pm daily at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Cost: Free.

So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history

As conceptually thrilling as it is aesthetically rich, So Fine features new works from ten women artists reinterpreting and reimagining elements of Australian history. Forming part of the Portrait Gallery’s twentieth birthday celebrations, the exhibition enriches the contemporary narrative around Australia’s history and biography, reflecting the tradition of storytelling in our country.

So Fine’s contributing artists – of various ages and backgrounds, and hailing from different parts of Australia – have all created new works for the exhibition. Aside from gender, their common attributes are a meticulous approach to creation, driven by considered, nuanced thinking. Their works are intricate, refined and affecting objects that reconceive events, people and places from Australia’s past.

The artists involved are Shirley Purdie, Linde Ivimey, Bern Emmerichs, Leah King-Smith, Nusra Latif Qureshi, Nicola Dickson, Pamela See (Xue Mei-Ling), Fiona McMonagle, Valerie Kirk and Carol McGregor. Charged with these makers’ passionate, intensely individual takes, and incorporating themes from pre-history to the present, So Fine challenges and delights, as well as interrogating the boundaries of contemporary portraiture.

Showing until Monday 1 October at the National Portrait Gallery. See the website for more information.

Trivia Tuesdays

Grab your mates, grab a drink and get ready for a good time. MOLO Live will be hosting trivia every Tuesday – and if that wasn’t good enough, the winners get to ‘pluck a duck’ for a chance to win some awesome prizes.

If your team is the brainiest you stand a chance to win a keg, vouchers from Brodburger, Bentspoke or STA Travel and heaps more!

Happening every Tuesday from 5.30 pm at MOLO Live, in the ANU Pop-Up Village on ANU Campus, Acton.

FOOD & DRINK

Image via facebook.com/pg/CellarDoorCBR

Cellar Door  

Cellar Door is a new wine market for Canberra’s wonderful wine scene. Buy wines from local makers every Saturday afternoon in the iconic Nishi Grand Stair, NewActon Precinct. Grab a souvenir glass, taste the latest drops, and buy at cellar door prices.

Wine stalls rotate each week with complementing stalls like flowers, cheese, chocolate and books. Capital City Soul Club are the resident DJs.

Make a day of it with a film at Palace Electric Cinema and NewActon’s leading food and drink destinations.

Happening Saturday 13 October from 3-6 pm on the Nishi Grand Stair, inside the Nishi Building, Philip Law Street, NewActon. See the Facebook event for more details.

Pod’s 8th Birthday Brekky

Indulge at Pod Food’s breakfast degustation series.

On Sunday 14 October, Pod Food will be showcasing four of their favourite breakfast dishes throughout the years.

Two sweet and two savoury, for their regulars or for the first timer, this is a brekky not to be missed.

$50 per person for four courses with matching beverages starting from $20 per person.

Happening Sunday 14 October from 9 am at Pod Food, 12 Beltana Road, Pialligo.

See the website to book and for more details.

After Work | Wine & Dine

Lanterne Rooms if offering a fantastic ‘After Work | Wine & Dine’ special this Spring. With the choice of four small plates and one large plate to share for just $50 per person, this grazing style dinner is the perfect opportunity to come out of hibernation and have those long overdue catch ups!

Get your first glass of house wine for just $5, and any additional glasses of house wine after that for just $10. Eat at your leisure and affordably order more if you feel like it, by adding any additional small plate for $6pp extra or any large plate for $9pp extra.

Available from Tuesday to Friday only (until 7 15PM on Fridays).
Minimum of 2 persons, maximum of six.
Conditions apply and seating is limited, so be sure to book.

Happening until 31 October Lanterne Rooms, Shop 3, Blamey Place, Campbell

See website for more information

Cheese Masterclass with Sam Studd

Join Sam Studd as he celebrates all things cheese with a dedicated masterclass! Because who doesn’t love celebrating good cheese with great company?!

Sam Studd, a Certified Cheese Professional, has worked on numerous artisanal diary’s across North America and Australia, as well as being inducted into the Guide Internationale des Fromagers.

During a five course lunch with matching wines, you will experience a selection of Sam’s personal favourites. Sam will share his passion for farmhouse cheeses and enthusiasm for understanding what great cheese is all about.

Held at Marble & Grain on the 13^th October from 12.30pm-2.30pm. Tickets are $132.96 and are available through Eventbrite.

PIALLIGO URBAN HIGH TEA @ FLORIADE 

Showcasing a range of sweet and savoury treats alongside an impeccable range of teas by Canberra based Tea Garden Co. Unwind with High Tea at Floriade – set amongst the tulip gardens, treat yourself to an afternoon delight in the Pialligo Urban Café including pastries, cakes, finger sandwiches and scones.

Gluten-free dietaries can be accommodated, just let the staff know when booking tickets.

Tickets cost $42 pp, and booking is essential

Happening until 14 October, Friday –  Sunday, 2.30pm and 3.30pm at Pialligo Urban Cafe at Floriade, Commonwealth Avenue, City

See website for more information.

HIGH TEA AT PIALLIGO ESTATE

Showcasing a range of sweet and savoury treats by Pialligo Estate, alongside an impeccable range of tea’s by Canberra based Tea Garden Co.

High Tea at Pialligo Estate is as refined as its setting. Tuck into delicate pastries and cakes, classic finger sandwiches, scones with Estate jam plus a glass of bubbles for extra indulgence.

This High Tea is perfect for celebrations, birthdays, hen parties, dates, family get-togethers and friends wanting something different! Bookings are essential.

Inclusions | Glass of Bubbles, Selection of Tea Garden Co. Teas, Selection of sweet and savoury items.

Happening weekends until Saturday 22 December from 10am at Pialligo Estate, 18 Kallaroo Road, Pialligo. From $55. See the website for more information.

TIPSY TEA AT WHITE RABBIT COCKTAIL ROOM  

It’s always time for tea at White Rabbit Cocktail Room, Tipsy Tea that is! Kicking off from two every Saturday and Sunday, Tipsy Tea is perfect for those seeking a little adventure.

Tipsy Tea ($65 pp), in true White Rabbit style combines classic high tea flare with signature concoctions encouraging the curious to explore their senses. To eat, you are greeted by a 3- tier platter with an array of flavoursome bites including; spiced pork sausage rolls, smoked salmon and cream cheese pinwheel sandwiches and semi-dried tomato and caramelised onion tarts. Looking for something a little sweeter? Try the sour rhubarb and marshmallow tarts or the delightful dark chocolate and peanut brownies topped with caramel icing.

Every Saturday and Sunday from 2-5 pm at White Rabbit Cocktail Room, 65 Northbourne Avenue, City.

Book your table via info@whiterabbitroom.com.au or on (02) 6257 7779.

GARDEN BAR HAPPY HOUR  

Select wine, beer, basic spirits, cocktail specials while you enjoy live music from Canberra’s most talented local musicians. Make your Friday happy and relaxing with a various selection of popular drinks.

Happening Friday every week between 5pm – 7pm at Ostani Bar & Restaurant, inside Hotel Realm 18 National Circuit, Barton.

Cost: $5 wine, beer, spirits.

FRIDAY SOIRÉE AT BUVETTE  

Add a little sparkle to your Friday night with Buvette Bistro’s Friday Soirée. Set outdoors in the Parisian-style Buvette Terrace, celebrate the weekend with this exclusive event. Enjoy VIP service with a personal bartender and select your drink of choice from the special cocktail menu, designed exclusively for Friday Soirée.

Sip on a French 75 or a Lychee Torsadée whilst enjoying fresh oysters, charcuterie or a duck liver parfait.

Every Friday from 4pm to 7pm at Buvette, inside the Realm Hotel, 18 National Circuit, Barton. Find more information here.

HIGH TEA ON THE BURBURY TERRACE  

Designed to blend tradition with innovation, the new Burbury High Tea menu also offers signature favourites with freshly- baked scones, strawberry macaron and finger sandwiches. Burbury Terrace is also proud to introduce a fully-dedicated gluten-free high tea menu. Remaining as innovative as the standard menu, it also includes the traditional sandwiches and indulgent sweets.

$50.00 per person including TWG Tea and freshly-brewed coffee. $60 per person including a glass of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, TWG Tea and freshly-brewed coffee.

Available Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 4.30pm at Burbury Terrace, Barton. Find more information here.

PETIT FEAST AT BUVETTE  

Spoil yourself with a bountiful spread including savouries, charcuterie, cheeses and decadent desserts. Every Saturday at Buvette Bistro & Wine Bar.

It’s not breakfast, it’s not lunch…but it is an indulgent feast for all the senses. The Buvette Petit Feast features freshly made savouries and sweets as well as lavish desserts. In addition to tea and coffee, you can order a Bloody Mary, French Champagne and Rosé.

Available between 11.30am – 2.30pm every Saturday at $65 per guest, including a complimentary glass of Rosé. For $15 guests can add unlimited Mimosas. Buvette is fully licensed and has free parking all weekend, outdoor covered seating and complimentary WiFi.

For bookings, call 02 6163 1818 or email buvette@domahotels.com.au. Find out more at hotelrealm.com.au.

TACO TUESDAY  

Your choice of chicken, pork, or beef in a soft shell taco with cabbage, shallots & coriander. Happening every Tuesday from 1pm-5pm at Ostani Bar & Restaurant, Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton. For more information visit the website.

BURGERS & BEERS  

A selection of Burgers and tap beer. Happening every Wednesday from 5pm-10pm at Ostani Bar & Restaurant, Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton. For more information visit the website.

PIZZA & PALE ALE THURSDAYS  

A selection of housemade Pizza paired with a schooner of James Squire Pale Beer. Happening at 5pm every Thursday at Ostani Bar & Restaurant, Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton. For more information visit the website.

MUSIC, STAGE AND THEATRE  

Credit: Kenneth Ransom

Bell Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Interested in ancient Greek drama? Love a good stage show? Look no further! Bell Shakespeare is here in Canberra for 8 days in October presenting Julius Caesar. Loved by the people, Caesar’s power is growing – which is dangerous in a world driven by ego and idealism. Those that rise too fast must be dealt with. For the good of the country. For the good of those who wish to be rulers themselves.

Julius Caesar is Shakespeare’s political thriller, a masterpiece of intrigue and treachery. Stand witness to the assassination that leads to a life and death struggle for power in the Republic. Citizens mutiny, Mark Antony schemes, and the fate of Rome hangs in the balance. Experience the tension between aspiration and ambition, the triumphal entrances and brutal exits, as it is all laid on the line for Rome.

Bell Shakespeare’s Associate Director, James Evans, will direct a production that’s seething with rage, leaving audiences breathless at how quickly violence reveals the fragility of democracy.

Happening 12-20 October at Canberra Theatre Centre,

Tickets from $78.50 via the Canberra Theatre Centre website.

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

“and – pop! – out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.”

One of the most-read and famous children’s books of all time, The Very Hungry Caterpillar emerges off the page in a masterful theatrical experience for the whole family.

Journey through Eric Carle’s incredible stories as they come to life on stage in this enchanting show. Featuring some other delightful characters from three of Eric Carle’s bestselling classics tales including, The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse, Mr. Seahorse and The Very Lonely Firefly.

This Australian made show will excite, educate and entertain new readers and first-time theatre-goers, while for those who grew up with these books will delight in experiencing one of the most popular children’s books ever written.

Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, directed by Naomi Edwards and with 75 magical puppets created by New York’s Puppet Kitchen.

This is a timeless classic for all generations.

Happening Wednesday 10 October at Canberra Theatre Centre.

See the website for more information.

S.A.D

Mental Health is often marginalised and kept behind closed doors. S.A.D brings it into the light without stigma; a show full of laughter, tears, truth and most importantly of all hope and healing.

S.A.D is a ourney through the Seasons of Mental Illness. The foreboding Autumn of History and Trauma, the sometimes isolating and cold Winter of Symptoms, the hopeful Spring that is Recognition and Diagnosis and finally into the beautiful warmth of the Summer of Healing and Acceptance.

Experience a show like no other that meets the demons that we all face head on and rather than doing so with anger and fear, instead embraces them with understanding. Written and choreographed by UK producer Charlie Wan, who’s inspiration for the show has been drawn from not only her own experiences, but those around her and their journey of healing. The show uses classical clowning and movement, with an entirely original score composed by New Zealand composer Teresa Wojcik, to move, entertain and engage without dialogue.

Content Warning: This show explores themes of mental illness (PTSD, depression and anxiety), grooming, childhood abuse, toxic masculinity, addiction and trauma.

Happening 9-13 October at Canberra Theatre Centre.

For more information see the Canberra Theatre Centre website.

Grease The Arena Spectacular

Get your girls together, put on your shiniest leather pants and come sing along at the world’s largest production on Grease!

Grease – The arena experience brings everyone’s favourite rock and roll musical to life on stage like you’ve never seen it before! The ultimate party musical features all the hit songs from the most popular movie musical of all time, including You’re the One That I Want, Hopelessly Devoted to You, Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Beauty School Drop Out, Born to Hand Jive and more. Featuring some of Australia’s biggest stars, alongside an amateur mass ensemble of over 500 performers, this is Grease on a mega scale!

Tickets are selling from $69, and there are four time slots across the 12^th, 13^th and 14^th October. For more event info and tickets, head to the AIS website.

Foreigner

Legendary rock band Foreigner will return to Australia this October to perform a series of newly envisaged orchestral concerts.

With ten multi-platinum albums and 16 US Billboard Top 30 hits, Foreigner are universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales.

Australian fans will be thrilled to witness the prolific rockers belt out all of their iconic hits with an 18-piece orchestral backing, led by celebrated Canberra conductor Kenneth Lampl. Fan favourites including ‘Feels Like The First Time’, ‘Cold As Ice’, ‘Waiting For A Girl Like You’, ‘Urgent’, and the timeless #1 global smash, ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’, will bring audiences to their feet.

Happening Friday 12 October at Canberra Theatre Centre.

See the website for more information.

The Gundaroo Music Festival

The Gundaroo Music Festival is a celebration of music, bringing together the finest national talent available for a one day event that will attract a crowd of more than 3,000 people.

The aim of this entertaining day of Music and family activities is to raise awareness of Motor Neurone Disease (MND), and to provide funding of equipment for those who have been diagnosed with MND.

Music lovers will come together to enjoy 12 hours of non-stop entertainment from 10am till 10pm. The evening will include a fireworks displays for all to enjoy at 8:30pm.

Festival attendees will be spoilt with a choice of the following: wine tasting from regional wineries; food and produce stalls; local arts and handcrafts; a kid’s zone with jumping castles, face painting, super heroes, and petting zoo; a mechanical bull; roaming entertainment; Extreme Display; a fully catered VIP and sponsors; and evening fireworks spectacular.

Limited disabled parking is available adjacent to the main entrance. Pets are not permitted to the Goulburn Toyota Gundaroo Music Festival.

Happening 13-14 October at Gundaroo Park, 70 Cork Street, Gundaroo.

See the website for more information.

HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL

Heathers is the super charged, laugh-out-loud, rock musical about the students of Westerberg High, as they navigate raging hormones, bullying from jocks, scorn from the popular girls, all the while just trying to stay alive!

Veronica Sawyer, a brainy and repressed misfit, is dying to get in with the popular girls, but when she finally gets her chance, her new boyfriend, the mysterious new kid in school, J.D. has other plans.

Based on the greatest teen comedy of all time, this heart felt and homicidal teen musical pulls no punches, as it explores the highs, lows and traps of being a teenager in High School.

Happening 12-27 October at Gungahlin Theatre, 23 Gozzard Street, Gungahlin.

See website for more information.

MICHAEL JACKSON THE LEGACY TOUR

Legacy, the world’s greatest tribute to the world’s greatest entertainer…Michael Jackson.

William Hall becomes the King of Pop when he hits the stage with his full scale production of Michael Jackson The Legacy Tour. The show, produced and endorsed by previous members of Michael Jackson’s crew, is a visual and musical voyage through the artistic life of the 20th Century’s most respected and idolised entertainer. The choreographed dance moves, live band and multi-faceted light show promises to repeat the Michael Jackson experience. With international shows across Europe, Russia, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, William Hall is as close as you will get to experiencing the King of Pop.

Happening Tuesday 9 October at Canberra Theatre Centre.

See the website for more details.

Trivia Tuesdays

Grab your mates, grab a drink and get ready for a good time. MOLO Live will be hosting trivia every Tuesday – and if that wasn’t good enough, the winners get to ‘pluck a duck’ for a chance to win some awesome prizes.

If your team is the brainiest you stand a chance to win a keg, vouchers from Brodburger, Bentspoke or STA Travel and heaps more!

Happening every Tuesday from 5.30 pm at MOLO Live, in the ANU Pop-Up Village on ANU Campus, Acton.

Nils Frahm

Nils Frahm, Hamburg-born composer, producer and celebrated performer, is known for melding classical influences and electronic production into minimalistic, but emotionally potent works. In 2018 he will embark on his worldwide All Melody tour, which includes one night at Canberra Theatre Centre this October.

Since the release of his first album in the mid-2000s, Nils has produced over a dozen solo albums, but it’s his unconventional approach to music that sets Nils Frahm apart from other artists.

Mixing contemplative and intimate piano music with a mesmerising synthesiser, Nils has gained global notoriety for the highly developed sense of control and restraint in his work, as well as a breath-taking level of emotion and personality.

Live audiences who experience one of his vast stage shows are able to capture the spirit of an artist who defies all categorisation, equally comfortable in a recital hall and on a dancefloor, and able to leap fleet-footed across musical conventions.

Happening Wednesday 10 October at Canberra Theatre Centre.

See the website for more information.

Trivia Tuesdays at Casino Canberra

Got a brain full of useless facts and information? Make some money off it at Casino Canberra!

Trivia kicks off at 6:30 pm every Tuesday with free entry and cash prizes to be won!

Visit the website for more information.

The Superjesus

The wait is finally over for fans of The Superjesus! 2016 brought the release of the ‘Love and Violence’ EP following a stellar return to the live circuit after a ten year hiatus.

Following an overwhelming reaction to a one-off reunion show in their hometown of Adelaide, The Superjesus have since completed a sold out national headline tour, sold out national co-headline tours with Baby Animals and The Tea Party, and shared festival stages with Van Halen, Aerosmith and Bryan Adams.

With 3 x ARIA Awards and multi-platinum albums; Sumo, Jetage, Rock Music and hit singles Gravity, Secret Agent Man, Shut My Eyes, Down Again and more, The Superjesus are no doubt one of Australia’s most successful and respected rock bands who remain a staple on Aussie rock radio. They have expertly managed to bridge the gap between their instantly recognisable late 90s hits and their current melodic rock sound—bringing together new fans and those who’ve been loyal for 20 years.

Sarah McLeod and Stuart Rudd have stood the test of time, and they now boast matured musicality and more raw energy…

Happening Friday 12 October at The Pop Up at ANU.

See Eventfinda for more information.

SUNSET SESSIONS AT THE LAKES  

The perfect way to end your week…Head to The Lakes every Friday from 4pm in the lounge, for your chance to see some of Canberra’s best local musicians!

Happening until Friday 29 March 2019 at Gungahlin Lakes Golf & Community Club, 110 Gundaroo Drive, Nicholls. Free entry. See the website for more information.

FILM  

Parliament House Spring School Holiday Free Film Screening

Celebrate the building of the People’s House these school holidays with everyone’s favourite building blocks – Lego! Bring the kids to Parliament House and enjoy the Lego movies free on the big screen!

Program includes:

9 October
10.00am – The LEGO Batman Movie (PG)
2.00pm – The LEGO Movie (PG)

This is a free event and no bookings are required, however it is recommended that visitors arrive at least 20 minutes before the movie for screening and check-in.

Happening Tuesday 9 October at the Theatre located on level 1 at Australian Parliament House, Parliament Drive, City

See website for more information

FESTIVALS  

FLORIADE 

Developed in 1988 as a grand, one off floral tribute to mark Australia’s Bicentenary and Canberra’s 75th anniversary, Floriade has become Canberra’s most iconic annual tourism event and Australia’s premier spring festival.

The floral display of more than a million bulbs and annuals planted across 8,000 square meters of inner city parkland is more than just a flower show. Floriade is a diverse, ever expanding program of music, cultural celebrations, food and wine, horticultural workshops, market traders, artistic displays, entertainment and recreational activities.

Happening until 16 October at Commonwealth Park, Regatta Place, Parkes

See website for more information.

MARKETS

THE MRS FRAY POP UP

The Mrs Fray pop up is a four-day event generously sponsored by Ovolo Nishi Hotel and the Molonglo Group, hosted within the Nishi Gallery space.

For four days only, Mrs Fray will make her appearance by bringing the best possible wardrobe pieces to make your wedding day unique and special to you: dresses, jumpsuits and two-piece sets, alongside slip dresses/robes, organza shirting, nail varnishes, fragrances and statement jewellery all supplied by some of our favourite and most well-loved Australian and International designers. Similar to a trunk show of sorts, but with less fluff and more good product you actually love.

The first pop up will feature Australian bridal designers Karen Willis Holmes, L’eto Bridal, and Prea James. As well as adornments from By Nye Jewellery, EOD shoes, locally made wardrobe essentials from NATALIJA and Millicent Elizabeth, organic underwear and seperates from Baserange, luxury lingerie from Porte-à-Vie and feel good products from OLO Fragrance and Kester Black. The Mrs Fray library will also be stocked with essential reading from Hello May Magazine and accompanying copies of their Wedding Notebook and Planner – the Wedding Field Guide.

Over the course of the four days, brides will be able to browse the collection of wares within the Nishi Gallery and book themselves in for a private appointment to try anything on. After Sunday the 14th of October, the Mrs Fray pop up will disappear from the space. Following the event, the online community will remain and brides will be able to purchase anything they viewed or tried on through the website. Mrs Fray is providing a fresh and modern take on wedding style that the nation’s capital has never seen before.

Happening 11-14 October at Nishi Gallery, Phillip Law Street, NewActon.

Click here to join the waitlist for private fittings or click here for more information on the pop-up.

Retro Depot

The Retro Depot is on again at the Old Bus Depot Markets! If you enjoy all things retro, mid-century furniture, funky retro clothing and macramé, this is the place to be this Sunday. Vintage everything is back in style again, particularly when it comes to clothes – so browse the fashions, jewellery and accessories of times gone by to deck out your retro wardrobe and make your home fashionably nostalgic with retro homewares and furniture. Bring a friend and have a hunt for something unique, and feel better about recycling old wares into a new treasure for yourself!

Happening Sunday 14 October from 10 am – 4 pm at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Kingston.

SOUTHERN HARVEST FARMERS MARKET AT BUNGENDORE  

The Southern Harvest Farmers Market: selling sustainable, authentic, regional food: grown and made by the Community, for the Community.

The market is open every Saturday. It is a great source of fresh food and farm produce from around the region including meat, eggs, seafood, honey, fruit, vegetables, preserves and refreshments.

Happening until Saturday 20 October from 9am-1pm at Bungendore Anglican Hall, 25 Butmaroo Street, Bungendore Anglican Hall, New South Wales, Australia. Free entry. See the website for ore information.

YASS COMMUNITY MARKETS  

Support the local producers and come to the Yass Community Markets. Local wine, jams, sauces and craft items. Oil, baked goods and great coffee or juices. Vegetables and plants too. Home made food, arts and crafts.

It’s a great place to catch up with friends or to take a family and friends, with good weather expect to see the jumping castle and more stalls outside.

The Yass Community Markets have become a fantastic community event every first and third Saturday of the month. Come and have a coffee, relax and enjoy the ambiance and perhaps take in a local vineyard for lunch.

Happening until Saturday 2 February 2019 from 10am-1pm at St Augustines Church, Meehan Street, St Augustines Church. $2 entry. See the website for more information.

SOUTHSIDE FARMERS MARKETS  

Get along to the Southside Farmers Markets every Sunday morning and pick up the finest fruit and vegetables and produce our region has to offer.  There are over 50 stalls made up of farmers and producers who sell their food direct from their farm or kitchen.  Many farmers are out picking their produce the night before the market and you can certainly taste the difference.

Talk to the farmer direct and find out where your food is being grown, how they grow it, and even how they best like to cook it.  Not only do they provide us with fresh food every week but they are a wealth of information on the food that nourishes week in week out.

What’s in season this week?  Annual herbs, beans, peas, beetroot, capsicums, carrots, chillies, corn, cucumber, daikon, eggplant, garlic, onion, radishes, rhubarb, squash, zucchini, melons, stonefruit, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes and more!

Every Sunday from 8.30am to 11 am at Canberra College, 2 Launceston Street, Phillip. Entry is free, visit the website for more information.

MARKET GARDEN PRODUCE STALL  

Selling fresh, clean, chemical-free vegetables, preserves and baked goods in the Courtyard of 56 Wallace Street, Braidwood every Saturday morning from 8.30am until 12.00 or sold out. Wynlen House is a small urban micro-farm specialising in offering a broad range of seasonal vegetables all year round.

They also run workshops to show people how to grow vegetables, garlic, and raise small farm animals on a large suburban block and offer slow food events to showcase the benefit and deliciousness of produce grown locally, without chemical inputs and picked fresh.

On every Saturday from 8.30am – 12 pm, at The Courtyard, Braidwood. For more information visit the website.

WORKSHOPS, TOURS & TALKS

Move with the Current

Join the ANU College of Arts and Social Science for the fifth talk in their Move with the Current lecture series – topical talks by leading academics.

Trust and Politics in Australia: What Can History Tell Us? by Professor Frank Bongiorno

The survey results are in: Australians have declining trust in their politicians. But is this simply a by-product of the times in which we live, an era in which trust in politics seems to be on the wane across the world? Or are there aspects of Australia’s political history that can help us to place the decline of trust of recent years in a wider perspective? After all, Australians might distrust their politicians, but they still seem to have considerable faith in government, and they continue to look to the state for the solution to a wide range of their problems.

Tickets available online. 

Spring Posy Workshop at Pollen

This Floriade season, be guided by in house florist & stylist Larissa, who will teach you how to create a deluxe full Spring Posy on the lawns by Pollen Cafe, at The National Botanic Gardens, Canberra.

Enjoy a mezze grazing platter under the trees while sipping on some bubbles or light refreshments from Pollen, and mingling with fellow workshop attendees.

Happening  Sunday 14 October, 2-4pm. Moore information and tickets via Eventbrite.

Candle Making with Cocolux

Cocolux’s creator Meisha Strykowski will host a candle making workshop, exploring her aesthetic behind candle making, natural ingredients and handmade quality. Attendees will get to take home their candle at the end of the masterclass.

Enjoy sparkling wine and an indulgent grazing platter from Woodbrook Canberra on arrival.

The event is being held on 13^th October from 2pm-3pm within Canberra centre on level 1, near Country Road.

Tickets are $30 and are available through Eventbrite.

Find out more about the Cocolux range from the cocoluxaustralia website.

Blundells Cottage Gala Day

Blundells Cottage has had a facelift! New, sympathetic landscaping, new displays and conservation works on both the stone and the slab buildings are now complete.

Join us for a day of family activities, including live music, food and drink, lawn games, storytelling and making seed bombs to welcome everyone back to this tiny workers home that tells the stories of the families that lived there over a period of 100 years.

Help create the biggest paper chain Canberra has ever seen to celebrate the re-opening!

All display areas will be open to view as well.

Happening Saturday 13 October from 10 am – 2 pm at Blundells Cottage, Wendouree Drive, Parkes.

See website for more information.

Mental Health & Wellbeing Expo

A day after World Mental Health Day, the Mental Health & Wellbeing Expo is a free public event bring the ACT community together to celebrate positive mental health and learn more about the services available in the ACT. Mental Health months runs throughout October and is an annual event celebrated in over 100 countries in an effort to raise community awareness and understanding of mental illness, reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness, and promote positive mental health and wellbeing.

The theme for Mental Health Month 2018 in the ACT is ‘Identity & Growth’.

The theme was suggested by Hawker College, Canberra and means knowing who you are, accepting the past, and growing into your future. Mental illness should never define us, it is one small part of the person we are. It can’t stop us from accomplishing everything we want to achieve. We need to be able to say “I’m me, I’m okay with me, I wouldn’t change a thing”.

Join over 70 local organisations in a fun market day atmosphere with interactive activities, sausage sizzle and live music. This is a free event, held in Garema Place and around the City Walk on October 11^th from 11am – 2pm. 

Defining Moments: Penicillin to Wi-fi and Beyond: How Australia shapes the world

Australia is a continent of creators – firestick farming, cochlear implants, Federation wheat, penicillin, wi-fi and spray-on skin are just some of the Australian inventions to have had a global impact. What are the challenges and opportunities that will inspire Australian innovators in the 21st century?

Join ABC RN’s Big Ideas presenter Paul Barclay in conversation with our expert panel as they discuss Australia’s inventive past and imagine its innovative future. Perhaps they will get you thinking outside the box!

The panel features Professor Michelle Simmons, quantum physicist and 2018 Australian of the Year; Professor Genevieve Bell, cultural anthropologist, technologist and futurist; Dr Rod Lamberts, Deputy Director of the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science; and Geoff McNamara, recipient of the 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching.

The event is held on 10^th October from 5pm-6.30pm. Tickets are $15 per adult, $10 for concession, and are available through Eventbrite. More information can be found on the NGA website.

MEET THE GARDENER TOURS

For two days only, experience the private courtyards and gardens with those who know them best: the Parliament House gardeners! Learn how the landscaping team keep the gardens looking beautiful and get some tips from the professionals.

The tour will finish with morning/afternoon tea at Queen’s Terrace Café. Pre-booking is essential.

Happening every Sunday until Sunday 14 October at Parliament House, Parliament Drive, Capital Hill. Tickets between $50–$60pp.

Check out the website for more information.

Localjinni – Lakeside Stories Twilight Video Walks

Do you want to hear stories about Lake Burley Griffin only the locals know?

A new art tourism initiative titled Localjinnni, led by Fiona Hooton and Catrina Vignando, is making that possible. Their first participatory – place-making experience, Lakeside Stories brings visual artists, filmmakers, writers, oral historians and animators together to tell hidden stories of place.

Held around Lake Burley Griffin’s northern foreshore their Lakeside stories –twilight video walks, take storytelling to the streets. Transforming footpaths and walls into screens using video, sound and light projections.

Included in Lakeside Stories – twilight video walks are works by: Caren Florance (text artist), Melinda Smith (poet), Megan Watson (filmmaker), Matchbox Pictures (film and TV production), Ros Lemoh (visual artist), Dr Kirsty Guster (Acton Walkways place-maker), Roslyn Russell (historian), ANU’s School of Art animation students as well as collection content from the National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive.

Localjinni has a cultural and environmental mission – to make our public spaces more fun, more functional, more of the time. Take a cultural dip into Lake Burley Griffin’s many fluid identities through film, animation, poetry, visual art and oral history. Join us on an illuminating walk as we screen stories onto footpaths and walls around the Lake’s foreshore.

Discover why Canberra begins and ends at the Lake through an immersive experience, shared ideas and social yarning. Designed for artful, urban adventurers.

Held in association with Contour 556 / Canberra’s Public Art Biennial. (Supported by YWCA creativity grant)

7.45pm Saturday and Sundays 6-27 October

7.45pm Wednesday 17 October, Lake Burley Griffin’s B’day

Meet Henry Roland Park, Acton. Free – numbers limited

Eventbrite bookings essential.

BRICKMAN EXPERIENCE

Ryan McNaught’s Brickman Experience is one of the largest touring exhibitions of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Arriving in the capital these school holidays, the interactive exhibition is suitable for little and big kids (LEGO® code for adults!). It will be at Exhibition Park in Canberra from 28 September through to 14 October 2018.

Made with over five million LEGO® bricks, this epic exhibition will showcase some of the world’s largest and most detailed LEGO® models including Ryan’s biggest ever Star Wars LEGO® build, a model Airbus A380, a quarter scale LEGO® Ferrari and the world’s largest LEGO® flower.

Brickman Experience features a collection of over 60 individual works by Ryan McNaught – the only LEGO® Certified Professional in the Southern Hemisphere and one of only 14 in the world. Ryan and his team’s award-winning creations have featured in locations around the world, and now Canberra for the first time.

Canberra’s budding brickies will also have the opportunity to build their own LEGO® creations in the interactive master builder zones.

Happening until Sunday 14 October at Fitzroy Pavillion, EPIC, Flemington Road, Mitchell.

See the website for more information.

BEHIND THE SCENES TOURS AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE  

Discover the stories behind the building on a special tour of Parliament House. Learn how the building’s impressive architecture is symbolic of our national identity and gain a rare view into private areas.

These tours run only on non-sitting days (except Christmas Day and when seasonal tours are running). We recommend that you arrive at least 20 minutes before your tour or event for screening and check-in as places are limited to 10 participants. tours operate for 55 mins. For security purposes, all participants must present photo identification and ticket confirmation to join any behind the scenes tours or events. If you do not have these, you will be unable to participate.

Participants on a paid tour can take advantage of a 10% discount on any purchase from The Parliament Shop on the day of the tour.

Happening until March 2019 at Australian Parliament House, Parliament Drive, Capital Hill. See the website for more information.

GUIDED TOURS OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA  

Visiting the National Library of Australia? Take a tour and see a side of the Library most visitors never experience. Whether this is your first visit or the next of many, you can learn more about the Library and its exhibitions by joining a free guided tour. Tours are offered by trained Volunteer Guides who have a passion for sharing their knowledge of the Library and its collections. Your Guide will welcome the opportunity to introduce you to the National Library, its collections and the stories of Australia.

Treasures Gallery – Daily at 11.30am
Take a tour and come face-to-face with some of the Library’s greatest treasures and Australia’s greatest stories.

Behind The Scenes – Thursdays at 2 pm
Take a tour to visit enormous stacks where the books are stored and learn about strange curiosities in the Library’s collection that have been acquired over more than a century of collecting.

Discover your National Library – Saturdays at 2 pm
. Join a Library guide for a journey around the building and discover the stories in the Reading Rooms and public spaces.

For more detailed information visit the website.

ART FOR LUNCH  

Drop into 30-minute weekly talks or creative activities interpreting works of art in the NGA’s collection. Check our website for further details. This event is free but bookings are essential.

Happening every Thursday until November 29 2018 from 12.45pm–1.15pm at National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes. See the website for more information.

STEPPING FORWARD: COMBINING SOCIAL INTERACTION WITH LIGHT EXERCISE  

This free group is suitable for women wanting to reconnect socially with other women after domestic violence. The group gets together each fortnight to go for a relaxed 30-minute walk and catch up at a local café. Guest speakers are invited to join providing information about topics of interest in the group. This group is an open group, making it easy for new members to join throughout the term. This group is organised and run by the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT.

On fortnightly in Tuggeranong on Wednesday mornings and fortnightly in Gungahlin on Friday mornings, during school terms only. Children not yet at school are welcome to attend. Complete the online contact form to register.

THE SCIENCE OF US  

The 2018 Canberra Speaker Series held across the year at the iconic Shine Dome. The series will investigate the science of our lives and our health, from the moment of conception through to death, focusing on some of the issues we face during our lives and what science is doing to resolve them.

We’ll feature leading experts in the areas of reproduction, embryo development, personalised medicine, addiction, mental health, aging and more.

Happening until Tuesday 11 December from 5.30pm at The Shine Dome, 15 Gordon Street, Acton. $10. See the website for more information.

NOT-FOR-PROFITS WORKSHOP SERIES  

Managing a not-for-profit (or for purpose) entity is not what it used to be. The level of competition has increased 10 fold and the amount of money available for supporting your activities has decreased by an even bigger number. Throw on top of this all the added expectations of corporate governance, best practice, competing for great staff and the high burn out rates and you wonder why you do it.

That’s easy – you’re passionate about the cause, but is that enough to make you sustainable? Times are a-changing and this sector has many opportunities and challenges not affecting other sectors. This series of workshops will look at some of the biggest issues facing organisations in the not-for-profit/for purpose sector today and present options on how to address them. There will also be an opportunity for you to connect with other local community groups and share your knowledge and experiences with one another.

Happening until Friday 9 November 2:30pm at Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre, 6/65 Tennant Street, Fyshwick. See the website for more information.

SPORT

Heart Foundation Early Morning Floriade Walks

Hosted by the Heart Foundation, Early Morning Floriade Walking Groups meet next to the crossing on Commonwealth Avenue bridge for a 3km walk each morning (except Sundays) during Floriade (until 14 October). Please wear comfortable shoes, and bring a water bottle and gold coin donation.

Meeting point: Look out for ‘Heart Foundation’ volunteers, just across from the pedestrian lights on Commonwealth Avenue.

Happening until 14 October at Floriade, Commonwealth Park.

Make sure you register – the walks are held before Floriade opens to the public so be quick! It’s a great way to get some exercise and beat the crowds!

OUTDOORS 

Projections along the foreshore as part of Localjinni’s Lakeside Stories – Twilight Video Walks.

Localjinni – Lakeside Stories Twilight Video Walks

Do you want to hear stories about Lake Burley Griffin only the locals know?

A new art tourism initiative titled Localjinnni, led by Fiona Hooton and Catrina Vignando, is making that possible. Their first participatory – place-making experience, Lakeside Stories brings visual artists, filmmakers, writers, oral historians and animators together to tell hidden stories of place.

Held around Lake Burley Griffin’s northern foreshore their Lakeside stories –twilight video walks, take storytelling to the streets. Transforming footpaths and walls into screens using video, sound and light projections.

Included in Lakeside Stories – twilight video walks are works by: Caren Florance (text artist), Melinda Smith (poet), Megan Watson (filmmaker), Matchbox Pictures (film and TV production), Ros Lemoh (visual artist), Dr Kirsty Guster (Acton Walkways place-maker), Roslyn Russell (historian), ANU’s School of Art animation students as well as collection content from the National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive.

Localjinni has a cultural and environmental mission – to make our public spaces more fun, more functional, more of the time. Take a cultural dip into Lake Burley Griffin’s many fluid identities through film, animation, poetry, visual art and oral history. Join us on an illuminating walk as we screen stories onto footpaths and walls around the Lake’s foreshore.

Discover why Canberra begins and ends at the Lake through an immersive experience, shared ideas and social yarning. Designed for artful, urban adventurers.

Held in association with Contour 556 / Canberra’s Public Art Biennial. (Supported by YWCA creativity grant)

7.45pm Saturday and Sundays 6-27 October

7.45pm Wednesday 17 October, Lake Burley Griffin’s B’day

Meet Henry Roland Park, Acton. Free – numbers limited

Eventbrite bookings essential.

contour 556

Contour 556 / 018 is a free public art event over three weeks presenting artworks and performances by 60 artists in the world famous public realm and national cultural icons around Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra. It is unique in the field of public sculpture and performance events as it takes place in a consciously designed and culturally layered landscape, in one of only three designed capital cities.

The event reinforces the beauty of the designed landscape, and recognises landscapes hidden from view through design. It presents stories of Australia political, cultural and physical history. It includes stories from all Australians, from our past and our future.

Contour 556 / 018 coincides with the last week of Floriade, Canberra’s Spring Festival – perfect to add to your cultural calendar.

Happening from 5-28 October at a variety of locations across Canberra.

See the website for more details.

Blundells Cottage Gala Day

Blundells Cottage has had a facelift! New, sympathetic landscaping, new displays and conservation works on both the stone and the slab buildings are now complete.

Join us for a day of family activities, including live music, food and drink, lawn games, storytelling and making seed bombs to welcome everyone back to this tiny workers home that tells the stories of the families that lived there over a period of 100 years.

Help create the biggest paper chain Canberra has ever seen to celebrate the re-opening!

All display areas will be open to view as well.

Happening Saturday 13 October from 10 am – 2 pm at Blundells Cottage, Wendouree Drive, Parkes.

See website for more information.

Tulip Top Gardens

Until 14 October, explore an array of blooms as they herald spring’s arrival. Stroll through 10 acres of tulips and other flowers that provide a magical pathway to the cascading waterfall and hidden valley at Tulip Farm, Sutton.

Happening until 14 October at Tulip Top Gardens, 20 Old Federal Highway Sutton, Bywong.

ACT PARKS CRITTERS OF THE EUCALYPT FOREST  

Every Saturday take a short walk with a ranger and learn about the potoroos and other important inhabitants of the Eucalypt Forest and get back in time for “Koalas in the Canopy”. Meet at the koala enclosure in the Eucalypt Forest.

Normal entry fees to Tidbinbilla apply. No bookings required.

Happening until Saturday 16 February 2019 from 2pm-2.45pm at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Tidbinbilla Reserve Road, Paddys River. See the website for more information.

ACT PARKS KOALAS IN THE CANOPY  

Every Saturday you can search for koalas and enjoy a ranger guided walk through the tall eucalypt forest at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Hear a ranger’s story or two about these fascinating marsupials. Meet at the Eucalypt Forest car park.

Normal entry fees to Tidbinbilla apply. No bookings required for Koalas in the Canopy. Happening until Saturday 16 February 2019 from 2.45pm-3.15pm at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Tidbinbilla Reserve Road, Paddys River. See the website for more information.

KIDS 

BRICKMAN EXPERIENCE

Ryan McNaught’s Brickman Experience is one of the largest touring exhibitions of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Arriving in the capital these school holidays, the interactive exhibition is suitable for little and big kids (LEGO® code for adults!). It will be at Exhibition Park in Canberra from 28 September through to 14 October 2018.

Made with over five million LEGO® bricks, this epic exhibition will showcase some of the world’s largest and most detailed LEGO® models including Ryan’s biggest ever Star Wars LEGO® build, a model Airbus A380, a quarter scale LEGO® Ferrari and the world’s largest LEGO® flower.

Brickman Experience features a collection of over 60 individual works by Ryan McNaught – the only LEGO® Certified Professional in the Southern Hemisphere and one of only 14 in the world. Ryan and his team’s award-winning creations have featured in locations around the world, and now Canberra for the first time.

Canberra’s budding brickies will also have the opportunity to build their own LEGO® creations in the interactive master builder zones.

Happening Friday 28 September until Sunday 14 October at Fitzroy Pavillion, EPIC, Flemington Road, Mitchell.

See the website for more information.

NFSA Kids: Spring School Holidays

Get excited these school holidays as the NFSA brings you a program full of action and adventure. Did you know that Heath Ledger was a budding chess champion? Complementing the Heath Ledger: A Life in Pictures exhibition, we are showcasing films about games of strategy.

Tickets cost $5.00 per person, and bookings are essential

War Games
Monday 8 October, 10am

Tron
Tuesday 9 October, 10am

Tron: Legacy
Wednesday 10 October, 10am

Dungeons and Dragons
Thursday 11 October, 10am

Happening 2 – 12 October starting from 10 am at Arc cinema, Mccoy Circuit, ACTON, ACT

See website for more information.

School Holidays at the Australian Institute of Sport

Want to keep your kids active and entertained over the school holidays in a safe environment? School holidays at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has a focus on participation and having a good time. These programs are suitable for primary school aged children and will have your child exploring a world of fun, activity and adventure.

Choose from the Pre-School Holiday Program, Swim Intensive, Soccer, Athletics and a general Sports Vacation Program.

All programs are based around children having fun, learning new skills, working as a team and keeping active. There will also be activities in Sportex, the interactive sports experience.

Full day or weekly programs available, tickets cost $66.00 pp and weekly and fortnightly discounts are available.

Happening until 12 October 8 am – 5.30pm at Australian Institute of Sport, Leverrier St, Bruce

See website for more information. 

Open Air PlayUP

Want some outdoor fun these school holidays? Then don’t miss the Open Air PlayUp!

Pack a picnic and bring the whole family down to enjoy fun and games in the stunning Senate Courtyard.

Free after admission – $2 adults, $1 children (free for children under 5 years old) and concessions, $5 family

Happening until 12 October from 10 am – 5 pm at 18 King George Terrace, Parkes, City

See website for more information

PLAYUP  

Discover PlayUP – The Right to Have an Opinion and Be Heard, where kids can explore the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child in a playful way. Adults can even join in the fun too! From listening pods and a roleplay Kindness Café to a fuzzy felt wall and craft activities, PlayUP has a range of exciting and immersive experiences that flip the traditional idea of museums completely on its head.

See the website for more information.

Free after museum admission. Open from 9 am to 5 pm daily at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Ages 5-12. Bookings are essential. Register here.

COLOUR  

See colour as you’ve never seen it before! Is your yellow the same as mine? How do pixels and paint differ? Turn a blue butterfly green, visit the Room of Missing Colours and hear fascinating stories from people who see colour when they hear music. Discover Colour at Questacon and see the world in a new light!

Showing until 30 September 2018 from 9am-5pm daily at Questacon, Parkes.

LEAP INTO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY  

Your local library is a treasure trove…not only are there free books and resources, there are regular amazing events! Giggle & Wiggle with your little ones (up to two years) and help them learn through language play using interactive rhymes, songs, games and stories.

Looking to improve your English and make new friends, then head along to your local library for one of the informal English conversation groups. For more events and info check them out here.

FOR A GOOD CAUSE  

Heart Foundation Early Morning Floriade Walks

Hosted by the Heart Foundation, Early Morning Floriade Walking Groups meet next to the crossing on Commonwealth Avenue bridge for a 3km walk each morning (except Sundays) during Floriade (until 14 October). Please wear comfortable shoes, and bring a water bottle and gold coin donation.

Meeting point: Look out for ‘Heart Foundation’ volunteers, just across from the pedestrian lights on Commonwealth Avenue.

Happening until 14 October at Floriade, Commonwealth Park.

Make sure you register – the walks are held before Floriade opens to the public so be quick! It’s a great way to get some exercise and beat the crowds!

EXHIBITIONS

Portrait head resembling Cleopatra. Italy, 50–30 BCE
limestone©. Trustees of the British Museum
Media credit line © Trustees of the British Museum, 2018. All rights reserved.

ROME: CITY + EMPIRE

Stories of Rome and its vast empire continue to captivate and intrigue people almost 3000 years after their foundation.

Rome: City and Empire brings to Canberra more than 200 of the British Museum’s most engaging and beautiful Roman objects. They tell the story of how Rome grew from a series of small villages to become a mighty empire.

Explore how the empire was won and held, witness the grandeur of Rome and appreciate the rich diversity of its peoples.

Happening until 3 February from 9 am – 5 pm daily at the National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton.

See the website for more information.

American Masters

Drawn exclusively from the National Gallery of Australia’s (NGA) outstanding collection of American art, American Masters celebrates that nation’s artists from the 1940s to the 1980s. When the NGA acquired Jackson Pollock’s Blue poles in 1973, at the time the most expensive American painting ever sold, our emerging collection hit the global headlines. This exhibition tells the story of the formation of our incredible American collection and includes many major works not seen together for a long time.

From Abstract Expressionism, Colour Field, Pop, Neo-Dada and Photo-Realism, to Conceptual, Land and Performance Art, American Masters examines how a generation of young Americans, inspired by European émigrés, challenged local traditions and reinvented modern art. The sensational international impact of the era’s major artists is captured in masterpieces by Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Chuck Close, Donald Judd, Eva Hesse and Louise Bourgeois.

Highlights include paintings and works on paper by the New York School; Sol LeWitt’s huge Wall drawing No. 380 a-d 1982, specially re-made for this exhibition; and a selection of spectacular light works by Dan Flavin, Bruce Nauman, Keith Sonnier and James Turrell.

Showing daily until 11 November at the National Gallery of Australia.

contour 556

Contour 556 / 018 is a free public art event over three weeks presenting artworks and performances by 60 artists in the world famous public realm and national cultural icons around Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra. It is unique in the field of public sculpture and performance events as it takes place in a consciously designed and culturally layered landscape, in one of only three designed capital cities.

The event reinforces the beauty of the designed landscape, and recognises landscapes hidden from view through design. It presents stories of Australia political, cultural and physical history. It includes stories from all Australians, from our past and our future.

Contour 556 / 018 coincides with the last week of Floriade, Canberra’s Spring Festival – perfect to add to your cultural calendar.

Happening from 5-28 October at a variety of locations across Canberra.

See the website for more details.

After the war exhibition, Australian War Memorial

After the war is a new exhibition exploring the personal stories of hope, loss, and love of ordinary Australians whose lives have been altered by war, from those who have served to loved ones left behind. Take an intimate journey of the personal costs and consequences of war, unfolding over 100 years from 1918 to 2018.

Entry is free as always, and this event runs from 5^th October 2018 to 11^th July 2019. For more information, check out the War Memorial website.

BREAKING THROUGH: 75 YEARS OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

Why did it take so long for women to get elected? And once they were there, what was their experience within the parliament?

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first women elected to Australian Federal Parliament, Breaking Through exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy explores the journeys of 11 trailblazers who were the first to hold particular parliamentary positions.

These are stories of resilience, perseverance and ground-breaking achievements.

From 1943 when Dorothy Tangney and Enid Lyons were the first women elected to parliament through to today where woman have held the highest positions in all areas of parliament, including Prime Minister.

Breaking Through exhibition, recognises the significant contribution these women made in Australia’s democracy. Look back on their lives, uncover their motivations and what they view as their greatest achievements.

Told through never before seen portraits, each a unique representation by a young artist, and powerful stories of change-makers breaking through, this exhibition will inspire visitors to think about the role of women in parliament, what it took to get there and whether we’ve come far enough.

Showing until 28 August 2019 from 9 am – 5 pm daily at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.

See the website for more information.

Above & Beyond | An exhibition by Stefan Gevers

Award-winning Melbourne based artist Stefan Gevers will open a solo exhibition entitled Above & Beyond at Suki & Hugh Gallery on Saturday 6 October 2018.

Well known for his contemporary watercolour landscapes, Gevers will present a series of works based on memories of travelling through the landscape.

Inspired by the drama of light and the inherent patterns in nature, this work reflects the ever-evolving mood in a landscape. By eliminating unnecessary details and with the absence of human presence the sense of stillness and reflection within the works is intensified.

Opening 6 October from 3-5pm at Suki & Hugh Gallery, Bungendore. Entry is free. More information on the website.

Micro/Macro at the CSIRO Discovery Centre

Micro/Macro is an exhibition of artworks on display at CSIRO Discovery Centre in Acton from 3rd – 26th October 2018.
A collaboration between CSIRO’s Australian National Insect Collection and the Australian National University School of Art & Design, Micro/Macro is an explosion of scale, form, colour, and pattern.

This eclectic collection of drawings and prints has been created by ANU students in response to beetle specimens borrowed from the Australian National Insect Collection. The collection houses 15 million pinned specimens and is a research resource for scientists, and now artists, to help understand Australia’s rich biodiversity.

CSIRO Discovery Centre is open weekdays from 9am-4.30pm. CSIRO Discovery Centre, North Science Road, Acton. For inquiries phone 02 6246 4646.

Localjinni – Lakeside Stories Twilight Video Walks

Do you want to hear stories about Lake Burley Griffin only the locals know?

A new art tourism initiative titled Localjinnni, led by Fiona Hooton and Catrina Vignando, is making that possible. Their first participatory – place-making experience, Lakeside Stories brings visual artists, filmmakers, writers, oral historians and animators together to tell hidden stories of place.

Held around Lake Burley Griffin’s northern foreshore their Lakeside stories –twilight video walks, take storytelling to the streets. Transforming footpaths and walls into screens using video, sound and light projections.

Included in Lakeside Stories – twilight video walks are works by: Caren Florance (text artist), Melinda Smith (poet), Megan Watson (filmmaker), Matchbox Pictures (film and TV production), Ros Lemoh (visual artist), Dr Kirsty Guster (Acton Walkways place-maker), Roslyn Russell (historian), ANU’s School of Art animation students as well as collection content from the National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive.

Localjinni has a cultural and environmental mission – to make our public spaces more fun, more functional, more of the time. Take a cultural dip into Lake Burley Griffin’s many fluid identities through film, animation, poetry, visual art and oral history. Join us on an illuminating walk as we screen stories onto footpaths and walls around the Lake’s foreshore.

Discover why Canberra begins and ends at the Lake through an immersive experience, shared ideas and social yarning. Designed for artful, urban adventurers.

Held in association with Contour 556 / Canberra’s Public Art Biennial. (Supported by YWCA creativity grant)

7.45pm Saturday and Sundays 6-27 October

7.45pm Wednesday 17 October, Lake Burley Griffin’s B’day

Meet Henry Roland Park, Acton. Free – numbers limited

Eventbrite bookings essential.

Heath Ledger: A Life In Pictures  

Audiences around the world know and love Heath Ledger as a charismatic movie star who pushed boundaries and created iconic roles. Now they have a chance to discover Heath’s creative process and deep passion for the film industry and the visual arts, in a unique exhibition curated in collaboration with his family.

Explore a selection of film costumes and props, Heath’s own character research journals, celebrity portraits and acting awards and more. A Life in Pictures offers a rare insight into the man behind the camera. A program of special screenings and talks will complement the exhibition.

Showing until 10 February 2019, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, Acton. See website for more information.

Democracy. Are you in?  

Your voice, your hands and even your feet have the power to be heard. Our freedoms and our way of life have been built on the foundation of democracy. This living system is sustained through the participation of each and all of us. Democracy is sustained by you.

Australian democracy is a work in progress. Curiously, at a time of stability and unparalleled economic growth, confidence in our political and social institutions is at its lowest point in decades. But giving up on them is not the answer. Our democracy needs us. Are you in?

Open every day at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Find out more at moadoph.gov.au.

After the war exhibition, Australian War Memorial

After the war is a new exhibition exploring the personal stories of hope, loss, and love of ordinary Australians whose lives have been altered by war, from those who have served to loved ones left behind. Take an intimate journey of the personal costs and consequences of war, unfolding over 100 years from 1918 to 2018

Happening 5 October 2018 – 11 July 2019 at the Australian War Memorial, Treloar Crescent, Campbell

See website for more information

Trevor Dickinson’s Bus Shelters of Canberra

Many Canberra suburbs are home to the distinctive concrete bus shelters designed by architect Clem Cummings in 1975. Nearly 500 shelters remain in place and over the past four years artist Trevor Dickinson has been on a quest to find and photograph every one.

Dickinson has selected over fifty of the most striking examples to draw and develop into digital prints. His collection reveals that every shelter has its own beauty and personality; and explores how these shelters shape Canberra’s unique suburban landscape.

Happening 6 Oct 2018 – 27 Jan 2019 at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, Cnr London Circuit and Civic Square, City

See website for more information.

EXHIBITION: WATERWAYS

This exhibition is a reflection of five Canberra artists’ experiences of water, fleeting moments of nature, seaside architecture, travel and separation.

Victoria Cotton, Sharon Peoples, Prue Power, Rozalie Sherwood and Steve Tomlin examine waterways through paint, ink, stitch and textiles. The locations range from our local waterways, including Lake Burley Griffin, the South Coast and the English seaside.

The official opening will be on Saturday 29 September from 2-4 pm.

Happening until 6 November at The Link at Ginninderry, 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt ACT.

FROM THE SHADOWS: AUSTRALIA’S SPECIAL FORCES  

Their activities are secret.
Their missions classified.
Their identities protected.

More than 600 objects, rarely seen by the public, tell the story of how Australia’s Special Forces operate in secrecy to protect our national interests and support our allies at the Australia War Memorial’s latest exhibition.

Happening until Wednesday 17 October from 10am-5pm at Australian War Memorial, Treloar Crescent, Campbell. Free entry. See the website for more information.

ART + SOUND  

A fortnightly series showcasing playlists curated to specific galleries by various personalities. This event is brought to you by NGA and Yamaha.

No bookings required.

Happening until Saturday 2 February 2019 from 1pm-2pm at National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes. Free entry.

See the website for more information.

HALL WW1 COMMEMORATIVE EXHIBITION  

“When Hall Answered the Call” – Visit the small community of Hall’s School Museum and see their moving exhibition to commemorate the district’s contribution to World War 1 as part of the ANZAC Centenary.

The exhibition features photos, medals, letters, and other memorabilia that tell the story of the boys and men from the district who went off to fight in WW1. Learn about the support provided by their families, the local community and Welcome Home celebrations.

Happening Thursdays until Thursday 21 February 2019 from 10am-1pm at Hall School Museum and Heritage Centre, Victoria Street, Hall. Free entry.

See the website for more information.

WATERHOUSE NATURAL SCIENCE ART PRIZE

Let the beautiful and profound artworks from the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize take you on an inspiring exploration of our natural environment.

The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize commemorates the birth of the South Australian Museum’s first curator, Frederick George Waterhouse. The biennial prize is an opportunity for artists to investigate the world around them, and present their perspectives on natural science. The National Archives of Australia will once again be hosting an exhibition of the winning and highly commended artworks from the Prize, the only venue outside of the South Australian Museum to do so.

A travelling exhibition developed by the South Australian Museum. Hosted by the National Archives of Australia.

Happening until Sunday 14 October at Old Parliament House, King George Terrace, Parkes.

See the website for more information.

RE-DISCOVERING GINNINDERRA  

For half a century during the 1860s, Ginninderra flourished and in its prime boasted a church, two schools, store, Police Station, post & telegraph office, school of arts, nursery, farmers union hall, annual show, sports team and hotel. By 1915 Ginninderra was finished. Find this out and more by visiting the Re-Discovering Ginninderra exhibition.

Happening until Thursday 21 February 2019 at Former Hall Primary School, Victoria Street, Hall. Free entry. See the website for more information.

ARTISTS’ FACES AND PLACES  

Peek behind-the-scenes with this fascinating display of portraits of artists and their studios, drawn entirely from the national collection at the National Gallery of Australia. Comprised of artists’ self-portraits, artists’ portraits of other artists, and representations of the places in which they work, the exhibition explores the way artists see themselves, the way they are viewed by their friends and contemporaries, the shared world artists inhabit, and the centrality of the studio to their creative endeavours.

In particular, Roy de Maistre’s Studio Interior 1959, painted the year before his retrospective at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in London, captures the artist’s strong connection to the location of decades of work.

Happening until Monday 31 December at National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes. Free entry. See the website for more information.

NGA PLAY: KELLIE O’DEMPSEY: THE NEVER-ENDING LINE  

Kellie O’Dempsey invites you into her living sketchbook, an immersive space of moving marks and dancing lines. Digital projections collide with traditional drawing in a series of dynamic and colourful experiences and creative opportunities.

Contribute to the unique drawing journey as you follow the never ending line to shadow puppets, 3D drawing constructions and live animation before getting into the drawing rink for an immersive drawing experience. The never-ending line investigates drawing as a way of collaboration and transformation and features sound elements composed by Michael Dick.

Showing until Sunday 28 October from 10 am – 5 pm at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes, Place East, Parkes. See the website for more information.

CRAFTING THE HOUSE IN THE HILL: ART, CRAFT AND DESIGN IN THE BUILDING OF AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT HOUSE  

During the 30th anniversary year of Australian Parliament House, this exhibition reveals the stories behind some of the building’s major art and design commissions and explores how these works connect Australia’s most intriguing public building with its first people, landscape, creative spirit and the principles of democracy.

In their winning design scheme for Australian Parliament House, Mitchell / Giurgola & Thorp Architects envisaged a structure of national significance that was sensitively located within a regional landscape. The guiding design themes of land, place and identity are carefully mapped into the building’s architecture, surrounding landscaping and works of art commissioned from some of Australia’s finest practitioners in ceramics, glass, painting, sculpture, textiles and wood.

In partnership with Australian Parliament House and the National Archives of Australia.

Happening until Sunday 4 November at the Canberra Museum and Gallery,
Cnr London Circuit and Civic Square, City. See the website for more information.

NGA PLAY: KELLIE O’DEMPSEY: THE NEVER-ENDING LINE  

Kellie O’Dempsey invites you into her living sketchbook, an immersive space of moving marks and dancing lines. Digital projections collide with traditional drawing in a series of dynamic and colourful experiences and creative opportunities.

Contribute to the unique drawing journey as you follow the never ending line to shadow puppets, 3D drawing constructions and live animation before getting into the drawing rink for an immersive drawing experience. The never-ending line investigates drawing as a way of collaboration and transformation and features sound elements composed by Michael Dick.

Showing until Sunday 28 October from 10 am – 5 pm at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes, Place East, Parkes. See the website for more information.

A TALE OF TWO VILLAGES – AN EXHIBITION  

A Tale of Two Villages tells the story of the Hall-Ginninderra district from Aboriginal times, through the early pioneer farming settlement at Palmerville and then Ginninderra, to the establishment of the village of Hall from 1881.

See the website for more information or drop by the Hall School Museum and Heritage Centre, Victoria Street, Hall.

ART DECO  

Comprised entirely of works selected from the National Gallery of Australia’s collection, Art Deco presents superb examples of Australian vitalism, capturing Art Deco’s fascination with the meeting of art, architecture, and technology.

In the 1920s, Australian artists rebelled against the austerity of World War I to create images of an abundant nation filled with strong, youthful figures, capturing the vitalism of a nation reborn.

Technological advancements and urbanisation influenced the emergence of Art Deco: a new aesthetic in art, architecture, design and fashion.

Art Deco presents superb examples of Australian Vitalism, including Rayner Hoff’s architectural frieze Deluge – stampede of the lower gods 1927, Jean Broome-Norton’s Abundance 1934 and Napier Waller’s painting, I’ll put a girdle round about the earth 1933, which captures Art Deco’s fascination with the meeting of art, architecture and technology.

Showing until Monday 31 December 2018, 7 days from 10am-5pm at National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place West, Parkes.

For more information, see the website.

BEHIND THE LINES 2017: THE THREE RING CIRCUS  

Roll up, roll up to Behind the Lines 2017 and marvel at the political cartooning spectacle that is The Three-Ring Circus.

Showcasing the year’s best political cartoons, The Three-Ring Circus captures a world where fact and fiction collide and ringmasters, jugglers and acrobats have all stepped into the political Big Top.

From postal votes and citizenship chaos to penalty rates and constitutional recognition, 2017 was a tumultuous year in politics. Its cavalcade of political characters and sensational events provided rich material for our nation’s cartoonists who continue to look behind the lines of the daily political sideshows to capture the spirit of our democracy in all its passion, scepticism and humour.

Behind the Lines 2017 is on now at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Open 9 am – 5 pm. For more information, visit the website.

EMERGING CONTEMPORARIES  

Emerging Contemporaries is the Craft ACT National Award Exhibition for early career artists. This exhibition plays a pivotal role in supporting and transitioning artists into professional practice and placing Australian artists in view of the national cultural collecting institutions, business and industry, and audience.

On display at CraftACT, 180 London Circuit, Level 1, North Building. Email craftact@craftact.org.au or call 6262 9333 for more information.

NGA TALKS AND WORKSHOPS  

Talks and workshops cater for a range of different age groups. For full details visit the NGA website.

Feature image: Captured Moments